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British seaman served aboard HMS Neptune in Mediterranean and Atlantic, 1940-1941; served aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in Mediterranean, 1941 including sinking in Alexandria harbour, 12/1941; served with F Commando, Royal Naval Commandoes, Combined Operations in GB, Mediterranean, 1942-1944; served with beachmaster's bodyguard on Queen Red One Sector, Sword Beach, Normandy, 1944

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REEL 1 Background in Dawley, GB, 1921-1939: family; education; reaction to declaration of Second World War. Aspects of enlistment and training with Royal Navy in GB, 1939-1940: enlistment as regular at Hanley, 10/1939; training at HMS Royal Arthur, Skegness. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Neptune in Mediterranean and Atlantic, 1940-1941: character of voyage aboard HMS Carlise from GB to Mediterranean, early 1940; joining ship in Alexandria; function of 'scran bag'; advice about keeping clothes clean and dry; punishment for misdemeanours; further details of 'scran bag'; relations with French seamen after surrender, summer 1940; duties as blacksmith's mate; action station on 4 inch anti- aircraft guns; opinion of Italian Air Force attacks on the ship; in action during Battle of Calabria, 7/1940; return to GB for refit via Red Sea; pursuit of German raiders in South Atlantic.
REEL 2 Continues: search of Kerguelen Island; supplementing ship's rations; transporting General De Gaulle; capture of German merchantmen off west Africa; storm damage to ship and reasons for not joining fleet during hunt for Bismarck; attack on ship by German fighter off east coast of GB; voyage to Mediterranean after working up trials; attitude to leaving ship; method of sorting out bad feeling between mutually antagonistic seamen. Recollections of operations as seaman aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in Mediterranean, 1941: drafting to ship, 10/1941; attitude to serving aboard battleship; his action station; bombarding Axis forces on North African coast; sight of sinking of HMS Barham, 11/1941 and subsequent arrest of ship's photographer for disobeying order not to photograph incident; Italian mining of ship in Alexandria harbour, 12/1941; attempts to deceive Axis about their success and effect on morale of sinking.
REEL 3 Continues: reaction to explosion; effect on morale of Christmas pantomime aboard ship. Aspects of voyage from Egypt to GB via South Africa, 3/1942: ashore in Durban, South Africa; guarding German POWs aboard Duchess of Bedford; sight of Lady in White singing at Durban. Aspects of training with Royal Naval Commandoes, Combined Operations in GB, 1942: drafting to Beith; training at HMS Quebec at Inverary; allocation to F Commando. Recollections of operations as seaman with F Commando, Royal Naval Commandoes, Combined Operations in GB and Mediterranean, 1942-1944: nature of landings at Algiers; clash between unit members and US patrol, 11/1942; return to GB; uniform worn by Royal Navy commandoes; voyage from GB to Suez Canal aboard Sobieski; character of Sicilian landings at Evola, 7/1943.
REEL 4 Continues: how his landing craft was hit by Axis artillery fire during Sicilian landings, 7/1943; using Bren gun to fire on German Messerschmitt Me 109s; return to GB via Malta; clash with military policeman over his uniform at Shrewsbury Station; dealing with psychological effects of the hit on the landing craft during Sicilian landings; impressions of specialist tanks being introduced in Scotland; obtaining home leave during journey south; in holding camp at Cowplain. Recollections of operations with beachmaster's bodyguard with Royal Naval Commandoes, Combined Operations on Queen Red One Sector, Sword Beach, Normandy, D-Day, 6/6/1944: boarding ship for landings, 4/6/1944; address by officer on landing craft, 5/6/1944; character of landing; casualties on beach.
REEL 5 Continues: wounding of comrade Sid Coxton; sound of Piper Bill Millin of Lovat Scouts playing bagpipes on beach; dealing with congestion on beach; wounding of Lieutenant Commander Edward Guerritz, 26/6/1944; attending burial of dead at Hermanville, 9/6/1944; evacuation of Sid Coxton in DUKW from Arromanches; assistant beachmaster requested to wear white jacket during landings; story of being reprimanded for urinating in wrong place on Sword Beach; reconnaissance of large house on beach and its loss as potential headquarters; duties as beachmaster's bodyguard; sight of rocket firing landing craft firing in direction of Merville Battery; degree of German opposition in sector; scrounging for food; his return to GB, 10/7/1944.

Over two million American servicemen passed through Britain during the Second World War. In 1944, at the height of activity, up to half a million were based there with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Their job was to man and maintain the vast fleets of aircraft needed to attack German cities and industry.